A mother from Georgia recounted a frightening encounter when she had to fight off a man who allegedly attempted to take her 2-year-old son from her while they were at a Walmart store. Caroline Miller was shopping with her two young children at a Walmart in Acworth last week when the incident took place. They were using a motorized cart as her 4-year-old daughter wanted to ride it, as explained to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
According to Miller, the suspect approached the family and asked for help in locating Tylenol. She stated that when she gestured to show him where it was, he reached down, grabbed her son Jude from her lap, and attempted to take him away. “I’m like, ‘No, no, no, what are you doing? What are you doing?'” she recounted. “He pulled him. I pulled him back. We’re tug-of-warring.”
Thankfully, the mother was able to break free with her son, and the suspect retreated, reported the police. “I’m just glad that he’s still home with us,” Miller expressed to WSB.
The Acworth Police Department responded to the Walmart on March 18 following a report of a male suspect trying to snatch a child from his mother. Authorities confirmed that the child was unharmed during the incident. The suspect eventually paid for the Tylenol at the store’s checkout before leaving in a vehicle parked in the lot, according to the police report.
After speaking with witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage from both the store and Flock safety cameras in the vicinity, detectives identified a suspect and obtained a warrant. Sgt. Eric Mistretta from the Acworth Police Department explained that through camera footage, they were able to track down the suspect, Mahendra Patel, 56, from Kennesaw. Patel was apprehended on Friday and is facing charges of kidnapping, simple battery, and simple assault. He is currently in custody at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office with no bond.
Miller emphasized the importance of teaching her children how to react in dangerous situations. “As much as we would think it would never happen, it will and does, and to be prepared for when it does,” she stated to WSB.
The original article can be found on abcnews.go.com under the title “Mom describes moment man allegedly tried to kidnap her son in Walmart: ‘We’re tug-of-warring’.”
